BIVDA launches the Don’t Wait;Act Testing Campaign
For Immediate Release
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BIVDA, the trade association for British in-vitro diagnostic companies, has launched its new Don’t Wait;Act campaign to re-start testing for non-COVID health issues today. Routine care and health screening for diseases such as cancers, heart disease and diabetes have either experienced long pauses or drops in take-ups from members of the public during the COVID-19 pandemic. As a result, thousands of people could be living with potentially life-threatening undiagnosed diseases.
The campaign seeks to encourage the public to attend test appointments without hesitating over COVID-related safety concerns at healthcare settings and to act swiftly on any worrying signs of symptoms of ill health. Many people who have long term conditions and need tests to monitor their disease may also have been missing blood tests and we hope this campaign will remind them of their importance.
Some BIVDA member companies saw a 70% drop in routine demand for their diagnostic products during the early stages of the pandemic in 2020. Every cancelled order meant that there were patients not being given a vital test that could uncover an undiagnosed condition. The campaign will be social media-focussed, and any organisations who would like to join with BIVDA are very welcome sharing visual and written content around the issue of restarting diagnostic appointments.
BIVDA has worked with its membership to compile pathology testing rate data that demonstrate the fall in testing areas. Significant decreases have been seen in clinical areas such as anaemia (down 29%) HbA1c tests for people with diabetes (down 14%) and PSA prostate cancer (down 17%), among others.
BIVDA’s CEO, Doris-Ann Williams, said “The COVID pandemic has raised awareness of the importance of testing among the public higher than ever before, but people don’t always realise the significance of the information from tests on their routine blood samples – this information is critical to help doctors decide on treatment as well as diagnosis.”
“We completely understand people’s fear of being infected with Coronavirus and also not wishing to increase the burden on the NHS however they can be reassured by all the steps which have been made in healthcare settings to keep them safe. Ignoring new symptoms can mean that more extensive treatment is required which is a bigger burden to the NHS as well as potentially devastating to the individual and their family. So please Don’t Wait;Act”.
A dedicated webpage has been set up where the public can view campaign content, this can be found at www.dontwaitact.co.uk
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For further information regarding the campaign or BIVDA activities surrounding the NHS restart, please contact the BIVDA External Affairs Team Michael or Jon
BIVDA is the national industry association for the manufacturers and distributors of IVD products in the UK and we currently represent more than 95% of the industry and over a hundred organisations ranging from British start-up companies to UK subsidiaries of multinational corporations. BIVDA members currently employ over 8,500 people in the UK, with a total industry turnover of approximately £820 million.